


Give me a boost over Heaven’s gate

by Toomanyfandoms99



Series: (No Longer A) Secret Marriage [6]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, Greek Mythology - Freeform, M/M, Secret Marriage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-22
Updated: 2018-03-22
Packaged: 2019-04-06 06:36:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14051091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Toomanyfandoms99/pseuds/Toomanyfandoms99
Summary: “I’m the temporary ruler of Hell.”Dean’s eyebrows furrowed.  “You’re the-”“Temporary ruler of Hell,” Cas repeated, each word coming out like a tooth being painfully extracted by a pair of pliers.





	Give me a boost over Heaven’s gate

**Author's Note:**

> The title was taken from the song “Heaven’s Gate” by Fall Out Boy. This is part 4 (of 5) of a story arc. Enjoy!

Castiel surveyed Balthazar and Gabriel perched atop the Sad Cloud, hanging on by a thread. 

Without any delay, Castiel laid out his plan. “To take stock, do we still have Lucifer and Asmodeus being watched by the Greek gods?”

“And me,” Balthazar said in a lackluster tone.

“And you,” Cas confirmed. “When Michael steps into this dimension, he’ll have no idea what’s been going on here. Yes?”

“Yes,” Gabriel replied.

“Well, his lack of information is going to help us a lot. First, Michael needs to believe that Heaven is weak.”

“Which it is,” Gabriel said.

“So it shouldn’t be much of a stretch. He needs to know that angels are now an endangered species, and that we won’t fight him.” Cas addressed the archangel. “You have to be the one to tell him. Your acting needs to be-”

“Oscar worthy?” Gabriel supplied.

“Yes,” Cas answered. “He needs to be completely convinced that Heaven is on his side. Then, Gabe, you have to tell him that Lucifer controls Hell. And he needs to believe you without question.”

“You want to convince Michael that he needs to kill Lucifer in order to rule our world,” Balthazar summarized.

“Exactly,” Cas said. “He won’t know about Asmodeus until after Lucifer is dead.”

“You think that Michael could kill our Lucifer?” Gabriel asked.

“He killed one version of Lucifer. He should be able to kill another,” Cas replied. “Michael will think he has Hell in his grasp, but then Asmodeus will show up. He still has every demon in Hell under his control. Right?”

“Right,” Balthazar answered. “But how do we convince Asmodeus to help us?”

Castiel smirked. “Balthazar, this is where you come in. You need to convince Asmodeus to give us full support. I want demons on our side.”

Gabriel blinked. “You want what now?”

“I know where Asmodeus’s head is at. Once Balthazar tells him that someone is coming for his job, he’ll do whatever it takes to stay on top. Balthazar, tell him that if he helps us, he gets to keep his post as Prince of Hell.”

“Have you gone mad?!” Balthazar exclaimed.

“Well, I did spend some time in a loony bin, but that’s not pertinent information at this time,” Cas said blankly.

Gabriel huffed. “Continue, Cassie.”

“I want angels and demons to work together to repel Michael’s forces. You remember the rhyme we learned when we were young, Balthazar?”

Balthazar recited, “demons are legion.”

“I want as few angels a part of this as possible,” Cas said. “But demons are excellent cannon fodder.”

Gabriel and Balthazar laughed.

“That’s smart, I have to admit,” Gabriel said.

“I try,” Castiel replied, his mouth quirking upwards. “And if Asmodeus just so happens to get caught in any crossfire, at least we kept our word.”

The archangel looked impressed. “What about Michael?” 

Cas said, “well, it usually takes an archangel to kill another archangel.”

“You want me to kill Michael?” Gabriel asked, mouth agape. “I can’t!”

“You’re more powerful than you let on,” Cas said. “I know that.” A beat. “I have an archangel blade, if you can’t do it.”

Gabriel and Balthazar’s eyes widened at the unspoken suggestion.

Gabriel blinked. “You can’t die, Cassie. I won’t let you die for me.” He swallowed thickly. “I couldn’t bear that. And I think Dean would kill me.”

Cas frowned at the mention of his husband. The conversation that he would have to have with Dean was not something he was looking forward to.

“I’ll do it,” Gabriel said, shutting down Cas’s train of thought. “Better me than you.”

Cas sighed at that. “I really hope you can do this, Gabe. I don’t want to lose you.”

Gabriel said with conviction, “I’ll try my damndest to stay alive, baby bro.”

Cas muttered, “I’m not a baby.” The archangel chuckled in response.

“What if things go wrong?” Balthazar asked.

Cas spent the next hour laying out contingency plans, his brothers nodding in agreement.

————

After a night of Dean and Cas holding each other, the seraphim knew he had to leave.

Castiel gave Dean a gold chain with his silver wedding ring around it. The hunter made the angel promise — for the hundredth time that night — that he would be careful, then slipped his gold wedding ring around the chain too.

Cas saw the sadness on his husband’s face, and cursed the world for doing this to them yet again.

After Castiel said his goodbyes that morning, he teleported away.

————

Castiel remembered a time when Heaven was as peaceful as promised.

A time when he was a happy angel with Gabriel watching over him and Balthazar his supportive brother.

It was the three of them against the world.

Castiel’s first memory was when he was a cherub, playing in a grassy field and plucking the petals off of flowers, giggling and staring at his reflection in a nearby lake.

He heard the sound of big footsteps approaching, and he felt afraid. He curled in on himself instinctively, but then he heard an incredibly soothing voice.

“It’s okay, little one,” the voice cooed. Castiel heard someone kneel next to him, giving him enough personal space. He turned towards the — surprisingly — average-sized angel by his side, and was met with kind whiskey eyes and a serene expression.

Castiel recognized the archangel before him immediately. 

“G-Gabriel?” Cas stuttered.

Gabriel smiled kindly. “Who might you be, kiddo?”

Cas swallowed a lump in his throat, his fear dissolving. “Cassiel.”

Gabriel grinned. “I see you’ve found one of my favorite spots, Cassiel.”

“I-I could go,” Cas stammered.

“You can stay, kiddo.” Gabriel settled next to the cherub. “School was boring you, huh?”

Cas found himself nodding. It was easy to talk to Gabriel. More than most angels, anyway.

Before Cas could expound on that, he heard Balthazar ask, “whatcha doin’, Cassie?”

Castiel was shocked at his arrival. And the fact that Balthazar recklessly and fearlessly approached an archangel almost made Cas faint.

Balthazar was insane.

Gabriel smiled and asked the golden-haired cherub, “who might you be?”

“Balthazar,” he said proudly.

“I suppose that you are Cassie’s” Cas sputtered at the use of his nickname, “fearless comrade, then?”

Balthazar put his hands on his hips and puffed out his chest, stretching out his tawny wings. “That’s right. And you’re Gabriel, trickster extraordinaire.”

Gabriel smiled. “I like you two. You must be quite the troublesome pair.”

And that’s how Gabriel took Castiel and Balthazar under his wings — literally and figuratively — and taught them everything he knew.

Not for the first time and not for the last time, Castiel wished that the three angels didn’t have to go through so much to be reunited again.

And now, they were reunited under the worst of circumstances.

————

Castiel returned to the Sad Cloud with Gabriel and Balthazar waiting for him.

Balthazar said, “I can’t believe Asmodeus agreed.”

Cas smirked. “I figured he would.”

Gabriel said, “Michael’s coming here tonight. I can feel it.”

“Through the Force?” Balthazar teased, Cas snickering.

Gabriel ignored them and said, “I still don’t know what I’m going to say, Cassie.”

“That’s a good thing. You should go off the cuff. Straight from the heart. Pretend you’re talking to our Michael.”

Gabriel huffed. “You’re such a wise little seraphim, Cassie.”

“I try.”

————

When Michael came to Heaven’s gate on the abandoned children’s playground, Gabriel pretended to be caught unaware by his appearance.

Castiel and Balthazar watched from the Sad Cloud as Gabriel played Michael like a fiddle.

It was almost hilarious to see how affected Michael was by Gabriel’s plea. Gabriel had probably wanted to say those things to their version of Michael — still trapped in Hell — for a long time, but he just hadn’t known it until now.

Gabriel told Michael everything that Cas directed him to, and Michael was convinced that Heaven was his to command.

Castiel sent a message on angel radio that Michael was coming and to play along like he’s a merciful and benevolent overlord.

Cas’s plan fed Michael’s ego, and the archangel himself was too stupid to even notice.

Once Gabriel said Lucifer was in charge, Michael was filled with such fury that Cas knew he had the capability of killing another version of his brother.

As Balthazar zapped away to get Lucifer and inform the Greek gods, Castiel allowed himself to smile.

————

When Michael fought Lucifer, the sky became a war zone.

There was no safe place to go when both archangels were punching and throwing each other through the air like they were in a pinball machine.

Castiel was hunkered down with Gabriel, Balthazar, and a few Greek gods slash angels.

He saw that Kali was speaking with Balthazar, and noticed Gabriel watching her from afar. Cas stared at Gabriel until he looked at him. Cas winked teasingly, and Gabriel facepalmed.

As he surveyed the rest of the room, Castiel was surprised to see the goddess of love there.

He almost didn’t recognize his friend. They never saw each other outside of meetings, when they had to play the parts of powerful legacies.

Aphrodite’s hair was a dirty blonde, tied back in a ponytail. Her clothes were a business woman’s attire, her dress shirt and skirt crisp and tidy.

Her eyes widened when Castiel sat next to her.

“Hades?” She asked hesitantly.

Cas nodded. “Aphra.”

The woman smiled brightly. “Oh, I’m so glad to see that you’re okay!” A beat, and she whispered, “how is your lover?”

Castiel choked on his own spit. “We don’t say lover in the twenty-first century.”

“Ah,” the goddess said. “But how is he?”

Cas deflated. “I had to leave him once this all started.”

“That’s a bummer,” Aphrodite said sympathetically. “Will he be okay?”

“I hope so.”

————

Dean was awakened by Sam pounding on his door.

He groaned loudly. “What, Sammy?”

“You need to come watch the TV,” Sam said.

Dean made a show of getting out of bed. He just wanted to lay there all depressed and be left alone.

When he finally got to the living room, he saw that the news was on.

And that the sky was red.

Dean, mouth agape, said, “okay, this is some apocalypse shit.”

“Damn right,” Bobby muttered.

“It’s too early for this,” Charlie muttered, her pajamas rumpled and hair a mess.

Dean sat next to Sam, taking in the fact that the sky was freaking blood red.

The news then reported that cataclysms were happening all over the world. Hurricanes and tornadoes were sporadically placed throughout the globe, the oceans too rough and the skies too turbulent for any form of traveling.

“What the hell is going on up there?” Dean asked no one in particular.

“Wanna try Cas?” Sam asked.

“I’ll try it,” Dean muttered, leaving the room and locking himself inside his bedroom.

He didn’t have the need to pray to Cas that often anymore. Only in emergencies.

This definitely qualified.

Dean sat on the mattress, folded his hands in a prayer stance, and began. “Hey, Cas. I know I haven’t done this in a while. I want you to know that everyone’s in the bunker, and we’re okay. But I need to know that you’re safe. I need you to give me a sign, darlin’.”

He waited for a few seconds, then he felt the bond flare up with heat. A little spark ran through his veins, and he sighed in relief. 

His husband was okay.

————

Michael and Lucifer’s fight went on through the night and into the afternoon.

Castiel was surprised at how well-matched they were.

Finally, Michael cut off Lucifer’s head with his archangel blade and cast his body into the darkest pit of Hell, watching him burn and then watching his ashes burn.

The cataclysms stopped in their tracks, the sky turning from red to pink to orange to blue.

Castiel couldn’t believe it.

Lucifer was dead.

————

When everything seemed back to normal, Dean and his family were still watching the news at the bunker.

The news was now reporting that graffiti was being sprayed all over the Earth.

It was variations, in multiple languages, of “Lucifer is dead.”

Everyone in the bunker was struck dumb, to say the least.

Dean turned his attention to his little brother, watching various emotions play out on Sam’s face.

Sam’s abuser was dead, and Dean could tell Sam didn’t know how to feel about that.

Dean hoped that the fallen archangel had suffered a thousandfold for the pain he’d caused.

————

Castiel had no time for celebration.

It was time to enact the next phase of his plan.

Shortly after the world was back to a relative normality, Michael started to boast about his successful takeover of this dimension.

That’s when Asmodeus made his grand entrance.

Emphasis on grand.

Cas was glad he was there to witness Asmodeus commanding an army of demons towards Michael’s forces.

And of course, he was there to help lead the charge against Michael. 

He was a war general, after all.

The entire night was spent turning empty miles of grass into a bloody battlefield. 

If Castiel wasn’t so focused on staying alive, he would have pondered: how did Michael get angels and demons and monsters of all kinds from another dimension on his side?

Thankfully, Cas had applied the same tactic on his end. He had only accounted for angels and demons, but other monsters from the veil were joining in on the fight.

They didn’t want monsters from an apocalyptic world taking away from their food supply, after all.

As Cas fought tooth and nail against Michael’s army, it all suddenly came to a standstill.

A demon blade was sticking out of Asmodeus’s chest, the Prince of Hell gasping for breath as he fell to the ground.

Cas knelt next to Asmodeus — the demon prince that he’d wanted to kill ever since he chained him up in Hell — and looked down at him empathetically.

He knew that a knife to the chest really fucking hurt.

Asmodeus procured something from his pocket, pushing it into Cas’s hands.

The ring of Hades.

Clearing his throat, Asmodeus told the angel, “it’s up to you now.”

After a final shaky exhale, Asmodeus was dead.

————

On a battlefield torn asunder, Asmodeus’s dead body next to him, Castiel became the legacy of Hades once again.

————

Castiel could control demons.

The seraphim felt the darkness surging inside him and around him.

He made a change to the ritual.

Instead of shutting away positive emotions, Castiel amplified his negative emotions.

He found that this method was more effective.

He didn’t know he could control demons by changing the ritual.

It was awesome.

With Hell on his side, Castiel ended the battle prematurely by leading the demons back to the racks.

It wasn’t running away, exactly.

But Cas needed to regroup before he could sic Gabriel on Michael.

————

With Balthazar and the Greek gods running the show for a while, Castiel’s mind wandered to Dean.

What was he doing? What did he think about what’s been going on? Was he still safe in the bunker?

Was Dean plagued with worry for him?

And that’s when Cas had an idea.

————

When Dean had his first dream in years, he was terrified at the moment he realized that it felt beyond real.

He was in the living room of a house, but he barely registered it.

Cas was standing before him with a timid smile on his face, wearing his AC/DC shirt and plaid pajama pants. Dean glanced down, and saw he was wearing the pajamas he went to sleep in.

“Darlin’?” Dean asked hesitantly.

Cas smiled wider. “Hello Dean.”

This felt so real. “Am I dreaming?”

“Not exactly,” Cas said, a glint in his eye. “This is a dreamscape. Gabe taught me how to make them.”

“A dreamscape.” Dean tested out the phrase.

“Mhm,” Cas hummed. He moved a step closer. “It’s a place where we can talk while you’re asleep. You technically aren’t dreaming, though, despite it being called a dreamscape.”

Dean found himself smirking. Typical Cas, over-explaining things. “So you’re real?”

“I’m real,” Cas said with conviction. “I promise.” Cas moved until he was an arm’s length away from the hunter. He would leave it up to Dean to close the distance.

Shyly, Dean asked, “if I touch you, will you disappear?”

Cas laughed musically, Dean feeling ridiculously affected by the soft melodic sound. The angel replied, “no. That was a fair question though.”

Dean took Cas’s hands in his, drawing comfort from the solid and familiar warmth. Dean decided to look around properly.

His breath caught in his throat immediately.

It was the house that Dean and Cas spent an entire morning describing to each other. It was the morning they talked about what their lives would be like in a world without monsters.

The house was a cabin, with a road nearby and a lake in their backyard. The furniture was homely, all muted colors and weirdly patterned blankets. The kitchen was connected to the living room, as was a bedroom and bathroom.

Dean surveyed it all from his position standing in the middle of the living room, his eyes welling with tears as he saw photos of them on one wall. They were exact copies of the photos they had in real life, ones that they’d never shared with a living soul. 

Dean sniffled, suddenly realizing that tear tracks lined his cheeks. Cas watched him silently, squeezing his hands in comfort.

After a moment, Cas wiped away his tears, Dean fixing him with a piercing gaze. 

Dean said softly, “it's perfect.”

“I’m glad you like it,” Cas said, “or else this would have been embarrassing.”

Dean chuckled and said fondly, “I missed you.”

Cas blinked. “I’ve only been gone for two days.”

Dean moved closer, resting their foreheads together. “You’ve been gone two days too long, darlin’.”

As Cas circled his arms around Dean’s waist, he teased, “you’re awfully clingy.”

Their eyes met briefly. Dean replied, his breath ghosting Cas’s cheek, “I think the feeling’s mutual.”

Cas’s eyelashes fluttered, a flash of warmth enveloping Dean’s body at the movement. Cas glanced back up, reading Dean’s expression, smirking at what he saw there. 

“I suppose so,” Cas said quietly. His eyes suddenly went from light to dark blue. “Now kiss me.”

Dean did as he was told, smiling as their lips met. The kiss deepened, the two of them molding their bodies together like they didn’t understand the meaning of space. The only thing they could focus on was the press of their bodies, their lips fighting for dominance, and their pounding heartbeats.

Cas pulled away first, muttering between heavy breaths, “that escalated quickly.”

Dean smirked. “So,” he started, “where are you, out in the real world?”

Cas switched from playful to serious in a fraction of a second. “Hell.”

Dean’s eyes widened in alarm.

“I’m fine,” Cas said soothingly.

“Why are you there?” Dean asked, full of concern.

“Let’s sit down.” Dean followed Cas to the couch, both of them facing each other and linking their hands together.

“Darlin’-”

“I’m the temporary ruler of Hell.”

Dean’s eyebrows furrowed. “You’re the-”

“Temporary ruler of Hell,” Cas repeated, each word coming out like a tooth being painfully extracted by a pair of pliers.

Dean swallowed. “Okay then,” he said, Cas’s words processing slowly through his mind. Cas started to pull his hands away, but Dean held his grip.

“Lucifer and Asmodeus are dead,” Cas blurted out. “That left the job to me, until it’s all over.”

Dean blinked, his mind catching up at last. “Because you’re Hades?”

Cas nodded in affirmation. “It should all end soon, Dean.”

A beat. “Who killed Lucifer?”

“Michael,” Cas replied. 

“Who killed Asmodeus?”

“I don’t know. I was in a battle. One second he was fine, the next he had a knife plunged in his chest.”

“Huh.” A pause, then Dean asked, “what are you gonna do next, darlin’?”

Cas answered, “nothing too stupid.”

Dean smirked. “Keeping your promise to me?”

“Always.”

————

Once again, Castiel found himself pondering a flashback.

Gabriel had found Castiel on the Sad Cloud, curled up on the fluffy mass of vapor and letting tears stream down his cheeks.

Angel of Tears indeed.

“Cassiel,” Gabriel said softly, “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” Gabriel knelt down a safe distance away. He asked soothingly, “what happened, little one?”

Castiel just breathed shakily, wiping away his tears furiously.

“Was it those mean angels again?” Gabriel inquired.

Castiel nodded forcefully, curling himself into a tight ball.

“It’s okay, Cassie, it’s okay,” Gabriel whispered, moving closer and placing a hand on his shoulder. Castiel sat up and hugged Gabriel, the archangel holding him as he cried. Gabriel wrapped his bronze wings around Cas protectively.

It was in that moment — the archangel’s wings a comforting weight around him — that Castiel learned what unconditional love was. And it was when he learned, with utter certainty, that Gabriel was the best archangel in Heaven.

Gabriel said, “I have something very important to tell you. It’s something you need to remember, always.”

Cas peered up at the archangel. “Always?”

“That’s right,” Gabriel said. “Listen closely, okay?”

Cas nodded, his blue eyes curious.

Gabriel said, “you are loved, and you are valued.”

Those words hit Castiel like a ton of bricks. 

As Cas grew older and the world grew crueler, those words would come to mean everything to him.

————

Castiel was sitting in one of Hell’s seemingly infinite dark chambers when Gabriel arrived.

With Kali and Aphrodite trailing him.

Cas gave his older brother a look, and Gabriel explained, “they wanted to come. You make quite an impression on everyone you meet, you know. Even Kali is fond of you.”

Cas was surprised by this information. It didn’t seem that way until recently, when Dean’s family — the wayward sisters included — took an instant shine to him.

Castiel glanced around the dimly lit room and asked, “is something wrong?”

“No, Cassie,” Gabriel answered. “Your plan is working. But Michael has been attacking us.”

Cas’s eyes widened. “Attacking whom?”

“The veil. Monsters that helped us.” A beat, Gabriel hesitating. “He murdered a few angels.”

Castiel glanced at Aphrodite, her previously neat appearance rumpled, her hair coming loose from her ponytail. “Is this true?” Castiel asked her.

Aphrodite, her eyes filled with tears, nodded. “It was awful. He took their grace!” She sniffled. “Michael is a true monster.”

To say Cas was affected by this was an understatement. “He’s no better than Lucifer.”

“You’re right,” Gabriel said. “But I didn’t come here with all bad news.”

The archangel glanced at Kali. The Pagan god said, “I’ve found Anubis to take your post, once Michael is dead.”

Castiel nodded. “That’s good. He’s a bit crazy, but he’s the best option.”

Kali smirked. “You have to be a little crazy for this job, don’t you think?”

“Yes, you do.”

Gabriel cleared his throat.

He was such an irrational jealous angel.

Gabriel’s crush on Kali affected him more than Cas originally thought.

Too bad she probably didn’t feel the same way.

Castiel focused on Gabriel, who said, “you and your new army need to get back in the fight before this escalates.”

“I agree.”

“Have you had enough time to think?” Gabriel asked. “You can’t come back up and kamikaze your way through Michael’s forces.”

Cas raised an eyebrow playfully. “Can’t I?”

Gabriel huffed. “Real funny, Cassie. What are you gonna really do? Enlighten,” he motioned towards Kali and Aphrodite, “the class.”

“I’m going to control demons, put them in groups, and send them to whatever places Michael hit. Michael had to have split up his army, so we’ll do the same. We outnumber him. Michael made a wrong move by thinning his herd. We should be able to take each group out easily. Then we just have to deal with whoever’s with Michael.”

Gabriel applauded, Aphrodite nodded encouragingly, and Kali looked impressed.

“So he’s pretty and he’s smart,” Kali mused, Cas waving off the compliment.

“Well,” Gabriel rubbing his hands together, “let’s nab ourselves a psychotic archangel.”

————

Castiel set his mind-controlled demons on the Earth, remaining in the safety of his new empty chamber. It had become his throne room, of sorts.

He used his powers to observe as Michael’s army got its limbs cut off efficiently and mercilessly.

The insurgents were all stripped of their bodies and souls within hours.

The part of Hades inside Castiel enjoyed the display, feeding on the pain of each enemy soldier as they fell.

It all went according to plan. Until one of Castiel’s groups found Michael and faced his wrath.

Castiel averted his eyes as demons screamed and died in agony.

On the bright side, Castiel knew where Michael was now.

He had to act fast.

————

Dean spent his day in Cas’s armchair, drawing comfort from it as he read random books to numb his emotions.

He read the words on each page over and over, none of the information sticking.

By trying not to think about Cas, Dean was thinking about his husband more than ever.

He would play absentmindedly with his new gold chain, — that had yet to leave his neck — focusing on the metal of his and Cas’s rings burning into his chest.

His first distraction came in the form of Sam and Bobby. They were talking about some ancient book, stopping in their tracks when they saw Dean reading.

The bunker was fuller than it had ever been, yet everyone seemed to stay well away from Dean.

They were trying to give him space. Dean understood that.

And they were a bit scared of him. Dean knew that he tended to snap when Cas was away.

He had overheard Charlie say to the wayward sisters earlier, “I can’t believe Dean is doing his best ‘when will my husband return home from the war’ impression,” and honestly, she might have a point.

He needed Cas to smooth out his rough edges, for Dean’s own sake and for his family’s.

But Cas was in Hell, — of all places — which made Dean’s rough edges even more jagged and sharp.

“Hey kid,” Bobby drawled.

“Bobby, Sammy,” Dean greeted, his voice rough from disuse.

How long had he been in this chair again?

Sam opened his mouth — probably wanting to ask about Cas — but closed it quickly.

Dean had only told them that he’d heard from Cas and that he was okay. He kept mum on any other details, like the whole Hell and dreamscape thing.

He was still having a hard time grasping it.

Dean registered Bobby and Sam grabbing a few books and leaving the library in his peripherals.

Dean’s second distraction came in the form of Claire, listening to music on her headphones.

At the sight of Dean, Claire smiled and turned off her music. She rested her headphones on her shoulders, plopping on the armchair across from Dean.

She stared at Dean expectantly, her smile infectious and prying.

Dean raised an eyebrow. “Yes?”

“So,” Claire examined her black manicured nails, “Cas.”

Dean blinked. “What about him?”

Claire smirked. Dean didn’t like it. 

Claire said, “there was a lot about last night that you didn’t mention this morning.” She wiggled her eyebrows, Dean huffing at the suggestion.

“It was just a dream.”

A spark reached Claire’s eyes as she leaned forward with interest. “A dream?”

“We talked,” Dean grumbled. 

Claire looked far too pleased with herself. “You can share dreams,” she said, phrasing it as a statement.

Dean hated how Claire could crack him open like a walnut — a trait she shared with Cas. And he hated how she reminded Dean of himself.

Claire was a strange combination of both of them, despite neither being her blood relation. It kind of freaked Dean out.

Dean swallowed. “It’s a new one, I’ll admit. Sharing a dream.”

Claire grinned, standing up from her chair.

Dean figured she was about to gossip about their conversation. It will have circulated around the bunker within the hour.

“Thanks for the juicy info,” Claire said sweetly, putting her headphones back on. “See you at dinner.” Claire turned her music on and walked briskly out of the library.

Dean’s third distraction came in the form of Charlie and Jo.

Dean was surprised at the instant friendship that both women shared. They were quite different, but they didn’t let that stop them.

The two women were conversing when they set their sights on Dean. 

They gravitated towards him like bees to honey, squealing at his presence. Charlie and Jo squeezed into the armchair that Claire had vacated, grinning at him.

Dean’s eyebrows furrowed. “Yes?”

“So,” Charlie said.

“Cas,” Jo finished, both of them giggling.

Dean rolled his eyes. He needed to stop talking to Claire so often, if this was the end result.

A change in the air occurred so suddenly that Dean wasn’t expecting it. He felt Charlie grasp his hands and ask genuinely, “you’re really worried about him, huh?”

Dean looked at their loosely intertwined hands and stared at the floor.

“That’s Dean speak for yes,” Jo stage whispered to Charlie.

The redhead nodded in understanding and regarded Dean. “I’m worried about him too. He’s my best friend. But Cas is, like, the most badass person ever. And he took care of himself before you came along. You gotta trust that he’ll be okay.”

Dean said the phrase he often repeated to himself in times of strife. “He always comes back.”

Charlie smiled. “That’s right. Always. You gotta be patient, and have faith.”

Dean already knew these things, but having them spoken aloud solidified his belief.

His husband would come back to him soon.

————

Dean didn’t have to wait long for another dreamscape. Only a few hours, actually.

At the sight of Cas in a bathtub inside their cabin, Dean felt the bond douse him with gasoline and drop a lit match.

Hesitantly, Dean approached Cas, an army of bubbles covering everything below his chest.

It reminded him of when Claire left a bath bomb in the bunker and Dean caught his husband using it. Dean had just laughed it off, tamping down on his desire to get in the bathtub with Cas.

But this time, it was a dreamscape. Nothing was stopping him from giving in to the urge.

Dean smirked once Cas noticed his arrival. He switched to Enochian. “Mind if I get in with you, darlin’?”

Cas’s eyebrows raised to his hairline. “How forward of you.”

“You don’t like it?”

Cas shrugged noncommittally. “I’ll let you get in anyway, just this once.”

Dean stripped, winking when he caught Cas observing his naked form. He settled on the opposite end of the tub.

“We should do this dreamscape thing every night.”

“Maybe when I’m away,” Cas suggested.

Dean hummed in agreement, leaning forward and folding his legs to give him some extra height. He positioned them so that Cas’s legs were between his. He settled on Cas’s thighs, a thin layer of water preventing skin-to-skin contact. Dean put his arms around Cas’s shoulders and tilted his head down. Dean noted his husband’s pupils dilating and smiled coyly. He closed the short distance between them and pressed a feather-light kiss to Cas’s lips. Dean felt Cas tug him closer. He counted it as a victory.

When Dean pulled away, he said, “I really miss you. Everyone’s been avoiding me like the plague since you’re not around.”

“You can be a bit much,” Cas teased.

Dean made a noise of protest, Cas chuckling.

“I’ll be home soon,” Cas promised. “It should all end tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?”

“If things go according to plan.”

Dean kissed Cas again. “That’s good to hear.”

————

Castiel was ready.

He had created a charcoal trench coat for the final phase of his plan.

It was Gabriel’s time to shine, but Castiel was ready for everything to go wrong. He was ready to see what Hades could really do.

And he would look fashionably terrifying while doing so.

With the power of Hades running through him like a river, Castiel listened to the excited shouts of demons throughout Hell.

It was going to be a bloodbath that no one wanted to miss.

————

As Castiel lead droves of shadowy demons screaming for blood onto Earth soil, Balthazar came to him.

Balthazar’s expression was unreadable.

Cas couldn’t imagine what Balthazar felt upon seeing him so different.

Different, and yet the same.

“Is Gabe ready?”

Balthazar replied, “he’s still coming to terms with the fact that he has to murder an alternate version of his brother.” A pause. “He’s as ready as he’ll ever be.”

“Michael had no problem killing Lucifer twice,” Castiel reminded him. He stared up at the sky, broadcasting a message to Gabriel: “be strong.”

————

Castiel remembered the day Lucifer fell from Heaven.

Heaven seemed to quake, creating yawning fissures. In the chaos, Castiel and Balthazar stuck together, trying to find Gabriel.

But Gabriel found them.

And the archangel was different.

No trace of happiness was on his face. He seemed tired, and spiritually lost.

“Gabe!” Balthazar shrieked, Gabriel’s face contorting at the sight of the two young angels.

It was like he was looking at ghosts.

“Cassie, Bali, what are you doing? You need to get out of here.” The wariness in his tone took the young seraphim aback.

“We wanted to find you!” Cas exclaimed.

Gabriel knelt to their level. “You two need to hide somewhere safe.”

“What’s happened, Gabe?” Balthazar asked curiously.

“I’ve been exiled.”

Castiel and Balthazar shared incredulous looks.

“That can't be!” Castiel exclaimed in disbelief.

Gabriel placed a hand on each of their shoulders. “You two need to go on without me.”

“Forever?” Castiel choked out, breathing rapidly at the thought of-

“I don’t know when we’ll see each other again, but you two need to stay safe, and stay alive.” Gabriel steeled his gaze. “You have to be good little angels. You must be obedient soldiers, and slip through the cracks unnoticed. A time will come where you have to be strong, and where you will be given your purpose here. And that is when you will rebel.” The two seraphim held back tears, the fact that Gabriel was leaving finally sinking in. Realizing this, Gabriel said, “be strong for me, little ones. Remember what I taught you. Remember that you are loved, and you are valued.”

Castiel let tears stream down his cheeks freely, Balthazar remaining strong for his brother. The two seraphim nodded, and then Gabriel was gone.

————

With a living charcoal trench coat and tendrils of darkness circling his body, Castiel burst into Michael’s hideout with an arsenal of weapons hidden underneath his clothes and an army of demons.

Castiel observed his demons scatter and stab every adversary. He commanded his tendrils across the warehouse, his inner darkness toying with wounded monsters and putting smoking holes through bodies. He brandished his sword, angel grace melted into the metal and giving the blade a blue glow.

He charged forward last, his sword in an offensive position. He barely had to think to dispatch the monsters that were stupid enough to attack a god. 

Well, an angel with the temporary powers of a god.

It didn’t take long to cut down Michael’s army.

And that’s when Gabriel showed up with a crack of thunder.

Castiel hadn’t seen Gabriel at full power since...well...ever.

He was absolutely terrifying.

Until he smiled goofily at Michael like this was just a summer picnic.

Cas sent his demons back to Hell, ready to make a quick escape.

“Hey there bro,” Gabriel said cheerily, bringing his bronze wings to full span, conveying an unmistakable threat. “You see,” the archangel’s eyes became more gold than brown, “I can’t have you,” he summoned his archangel blade into his palm, “taking over this world.” He added sweetly, “you’re kind of an asshole, Mikey.”

The betrayal on Michael’s face made Castiel — who had moved near the warehouse door — want to laugh.

Gabriel made a fake shocked gasp. “What, you didn’t see that coming?” The archangel grinned, clicking his tongue. “You always were the dumbest of us all.”

Castiel barely had time to register Michael’s steaming rage before he was leaping towards Gabriel, his wings at full span.

Castiel teleported to the Sad Cloud, noticing Balthazar on a floating lounge chair watching the action.

The two seraphim sat in companionable silence as the abandoned warehouse crumbled and an open field was transformed into a thunderous tornado. In the eye of the storm, Gabriel and Michael fought, the lightning within the winds crackling dangerously whenever one of them got too close.

It was one deadly arena.

Hearts in their throats, the two seraphim watched helplessly and tried not to wince whenever Michael landed a blow on Gabriel.

————

Dean was once again interrupted by a knock on his bedroom door.

“What?” Dean grumbled.

“TV,” was all Sam said.

Dean searched the bond, and knew that Cas was okay.

Nevertheless, Dean shuffled into the living room, the television showing a thunderstorm and a tornado wrapped into one cataclysm.

“Huh,” Dean muttered.

“Huh, indeed,” Jo agreed.

Charlie began, “do you think Ca-”

“He’s fine,” Dean said gruffly, sitting between Sam and Ellen. He ran a thumb over his gold chain in comfort. No one had dared to ask Dean where it came from.

Some of Dean’s family looked like they were going to question him about Cas’s whereabouts, but Charlie sent them warning glances with narrowed eyes.

Dean was glad Charlie had his back on this one.

————

The fight lasted as long as a Lord of the Rings movie.

It made Lucifer look weak in comparison as Gabriel finally put an end to Michael. He dumped his remains unceremoniously into a volcano, looking like he could collapse at any moment.

Gabriel teleported onto the Sad Cloud, and barely noticed Castiel and Balthazar’s presence before falling unconscious.

————

“I’ll take care of him,” Balthazar said, cradling Gabriel’s head. “You have to go.”

Cas nodded, taking one last glance at his older brother before zapping away.

————

Castiel didn’t get two steps on Earth before feeling rough hands grabbing him and his vision going black.

————

When the thunder tornado dissipated, Dean let his mind indulge in a quick fantasy.

Cas walking through the door, framing the entryway of the living room with a weary smile, everyone voicing their shock and embracing the angel, welcoming him home.

And Dean would stride up to him last, wrapping him in his arms, kissing his husband unashamedly, not holding back, never holding back, barely hearing his family hooting at the unfamiliar display, his heart pounding in his ears.

But Cas didn’t come that night.

Dean figured he wouldn’t, but still.

He wanted his husband back so bad.

————

Castiel woke up in chains, his black wings quivering in pain within their restraints.

The first thing Cas saw — much to his surprise — was Raphael and Naomi.

These couldn’t be his world’s Raphael and Naomi, that was for sure.

Castiel narrowed his eyes at his captors, both angels grinning.

“Looks like pretty boy’s awake,” Raphael said cheerily, twirling his archangel blade menacingly.

Naomi mused, “this one seems different from your average angel, doesn’t he?”

Cas leveled them with his best glare.

Naomi smirked delightedly. “This one must know us.”

Raphael regarded Cas. “I’m surprised you survived this long, seraph. In our world, you committed suicide when Michael took over.”

Castiel could imagine it. In a dimension without the Winchesters, he wouldn’t have wanted to live in an apocalyptic world where Michael reigned supreme.

If he had to commit suicide to be at peace in the Big Empty, then so be it.

But Cas had Dean and Sam and an entire family to prevent such a tragic outcome in his world.

“So,” Naomi’s heels clicked as she moved closer to Cas, “what makes you different in this world?”

Castiel stared at the floor, trying to seem weak.

Did they really not know that the powers of a god were running through his veins?

Just when Cas thought his brethren couldn't get any dumber...

Cas held his tongue from making his usual sassy remarks. He said quietly, as if defeated, “I’m just a lowly little seraphim.”

Raphael looked ready to place his archangel blade against Cas’s throat, but Naomi held him back.

She regarded Cas’s gaze. “In your world, we hurt you.” 

Castiel clenched his jaw. Naomi noticed the motion, a glint in her eye.

“Good,” Raphael said coldly, the point to his archangel blade resting on Cas’s jugular. “Because you hurt us.”

It took Cas a moment to think. They must have been working with Michael in the other dimension. Now that he was dead, they must have found out he was the mastermind behind it all. Or someone who was heavily involved in the orchestration of Michael’s demise.

So they wanted revenge.

How cute.

Castiel eyed his captors, recalling when Naomi brainwashed him over and over again for months, tried to train him to be her assassin, making him kill millions of copies of the man he loves so that he wouldn’t hesitate.

But he did. He did hurt Dean — something that he kicked himself for every day until Dean whispered into his skin that it was okay, that he was okay and they were okay — but ultimately, he hesitated.

Raphael and Naomi had made a grave error, thinking Cas would hesitate if he had to kill them.

They didn’t know him at all.

He will never hesitate. He will never conform to their predetermined beliefs. 

He was not just a lowly seraphim. 

Castiel summoned the powers of Hades, unnoticeable tendrils freeing him from his chains.

His captors didn’t see a thing. 

He fixed both angels with a look that could cut glass. He said nonchalantly, “you’re right. I’m not a normal angel.” He tore his limbs and wings free from their restraints with sheer strength, grabbing Raphael’s archangel blade and flipping it so that he was grasping the hilt. Without hesitation, Castiel pressed the blade into Raphael’s throat, watching the grace spill from his body and burn to ash. Unrestrained, Castiel turned to Naomi, who was in shock, and allowed strips of darkness to shoot through her like bullets. 

When Naomi’s body hit the ground, Castiel returned back to Earth.

————

Balthazar appearing with an unconscious Gabriel was definitely a new one for Dean.

He was glad only he and Sam were in the room. He didn’t want to deal with his family’s questions right now.

Before Dean could ask the existential question, Balthazar said, “I can’t get a read on Cas.”

Dean’s heart dropped to his stomach. “What do you mean?”

“It’s like he,” Balthazar waved his hands in the air, “vanished.”

Dean searched their bond again. “He’s alive.”

Balthazar’s eyebrows furrowed. “How do you know…oh, a bond.”

Dean nodded. “Maybe he’s in another dimension.”

“I can usually still sense him, though,” Balthazar said. “Something’s-”

“Ah!” Gabriel exclaimed, jolting himself awake.

Balthazar held his shoulders and told him to calm down, Gabriel’s breaths evening out after a moment.

Gabriel surveyed Balthazar, Dean, and Sam in the room. “Where’s Cassie?” He held a hand to his chest. “I can’t sense him!”

“That’s what we’re trying to figure out,” Balthazar said.

“Fill me in on what’s happened,” Gabriel ordered, Dean and Sam listening closely.

Balthazar informed them, “Cassie and I were watching you fight Michael. When he was dead, you teleported to us and collapsed. I took care of you while Cassie was on his way back to Earth.”

Gabriel’s eyes widened. “Someone waited until I couldn’t protect his aura.”

“You’re saying Cas was taken,” Dean said, in a voice so raw that the angels and Sam felt his pain.

Gabriel said quietly, “I’m sorry Dean. I failed him.”

————

Castiel returned to Earth only to be found by Kali and Aphrodite.

“Hades!” Aphrodite exclaimed at his ragged appearance.

Both gods approached him, checking for injuries.

“I’m fine,” Cas said warily.

“No you aren’t,” Kali said, staring at Cas’s hand.

Castiel barely noticed the bleeding cut on his hand before his vision went fuzzy.

Cas heard the word “poisoned” and he felt the world go black once again.

————

Gabriel and Balthazar gasped.

“What is it?” Dean asked.

“I can sense him!” Gabriel exclaimed.

“I’ll get him,” Balthazar said, disappearing with a rustle of wings.

————

The entire room was deprived of oxygen when Balthazar arrived carrying Castiel.

Gabriel sprung into action, the Winchesters feeling useless.

“I can fix this,” Gabriel declared as he examined Cas. “It’s not that strong of a poison.”

“How long will it take?” Balthazar inquired, placing the back of his hand on Cas’s hot forehead.

“Give me an hour,” Gabriel said. “I’m still a bit weak.”

————

At some point during that hour of healing, Sam had left and locked the door. Dean figured he was going to explain what was happening to everyone else.

Dean stood motionless against the wall, watching Cas breathe unsteadily. He noticed that traces of Hades were present inside him upon seeing his charcoal trench coat.

Dean felt like someone had grasped his heart and ripped it out of his chest.

Cas was supposed to be fine. He was supposed to stride into the bunker, unhurt, and give Dean a smile that would make his knees weak.

After the hour was up, Cas finally opened his eyes.

Dean moved closer, Gabriel whispering, “hey Cassie. You okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“You scared us for a while there,” Gabriel said, the soothing tone surprising Dean.

Cas’s eyes widened upon seeing Dean. “H-hi.”

Dean sat next to Cas, his brothers watching on with curiosity. Dean kept his expression soft as he asked, “so, who dared to poison the most badass angel around?”

Hoping to lighten the mood, it had the opposite effect. Cas sighed and said, “it was Raphael and Naomi.”

“What?!” The angels exclaimed in unison.

“From the other dimension,” Cas clarified. “I took care of it.”

Gabriel blinked rapidly. “You’re telling me...that you killed an archangel and the most militant angel in Heaven.”

Cas waved it off. “It wasn’t a big deal.”

Gabriel, Balthazar, and Dean were awestruck. 

Gabriel exclaimed, “you killed them by yourself, and you think that’s no big deal?!”

Cas shrugged. “Got poisoned by Raphael’s blade. Not my finest hour.”

Balthazar huffed. “You’ve gotta be kidding me. You just told me the awesomest thing and you’re like ‘eh, could have done better.’” Balthazar splayed out his hands exasperatedly. “What?!”

Dean suddenly took Cas’s hand in his, the angel’s gaze fixing on him. “Give yourself some credit, okay? You killed a freaking archangel! I’m proud of you.”

Cas blushed. “Okay, you’re right.”

Gabriel and Balthazar shared an incredulous look.

“He only listens to Dean,” Gabriel observed.

“Unbelievable,” Balthazar commented.

“Anyway,” Cas said seriously, “we still have more work to do.”

Gabriel snapped his fingers. “You’re right. We gotta get you back to normal.”

Dean immediately protested. “Shouldn’t he rest a little more?”

Cas said reassuringly, “I’m fine. Promise.” He stood up, Gabriel and Balthazar doing the same. “I’ll be back soon, okay?”

Dean sighed, crossing his arms. He regarded Gabriel and Balthazar. “Watch him like hawks.”

“Gotcha, Dean-o,” Gabriel said.

The angels disappeared.

————

When Castiel met with Anubis, he transferred his powers and told Anubis to prevent as many demons from crossing topside as possible.

Anubis agreed, and, satisfied, Castiel left Hell in semi-capable hands.

————

Castiel met with Kali in a diner parking lot.

The seraphim said, “Gabriel’s obsessed with you. Did you know that?”

Kali faltered. Her confusion was as plain as day.

Cas continued. “I can tell you don’t feel the same way. You two had your fun, and while Gabriel has a crush on you now, you never thought of him as more than a nice distraction. You need to tell him that, but please be gentle. Do it before his feelings develop even more than they already have.”

Kali swallowed thickly, surprised at this onslaught of information. “Will he be okay?” She asked, her voice uncharacteristically soft.

“If you tell him soon, he will be.” Cas huffed. “I want him to be happy, make no mistake. But he’s hung up on someone who just wants him as a friend. The faster he gets past his infatuation with you, the faster he’ll be able to move on.”

Kali stared at the ground, probably running through instances with Gabriel in her head that could be interpreted as clear signs of a crush.

Kali blinked rapidly, nodding resolutely at Castiel.

Taking this as acceptance, Cas left with a rustle of wings.

————

Castiel found Jack in the woods, sitting on a fallen tree trunk a mile away from the bunker.

When Cas appeared next to him, Jack didn’t look surprised.

Jack nodded solemnly in greeting.

“I suppose you already know what I came here to talk to you about.”

“Yes,” Jack replied. “My birth father is dead.”

“How do you feel about that?” Cas asked, keeping his tone emotionless. It was important that he listened to the nephilim and seem unbiased.

Jack focused on his hands as he spoke. “I never really knew him. I didn’t even meet him. He didn’t raise me. I don’t really feel...anything.” The nephilim met Cas’s eyes. “Is something wrong with me?”

“No,” Cas said seriously. “It’s fine not to have any particular feelings towards someone you didn’t know or understand. That’s the human side of you.”

Jack nodded. “That’s good to know.”

Castiel patted his shoulder comfortingly. “Not to change the subject, but how’s Sam?”

“Lucifer hurt Sam, didn’t he? No one likes to talk about it.”

“He did,” Cas said truthfully. “Sam is still very much affected by it. He isn’t the same as he was when I met him.” He paused. “I could say the same about most of the humans I know. They change, yet they don’t.”

Jack’s eyebrows furrowed.

Cas smiled. “What I mean is...Sam went through a lot with Lucifer, but he hasn’t let that change the aspects of himself that really matter.”

“What about Dean? Has he changed?” Jack asked inquisitively.

“That’s an entirely different matter altogether,” Cas said fondly, “but yes, he’s changed for the better.”

————

When Claire wanted to speak to Dean alone, he was more than a little confused.

“I’m not going to bite you,” Claire said at his trepidation.

Once they were alone, Claire began. “I know you don’t like talking about your marriage to Cas.” Dean opened his mouth, but Claire held up a finger. “I need you to indulge me for a minute.” Dean closed his mouth. “It’s just...you’re a hunter, yet you love an angel. I was wondering if it’s possible...for a hunter to love a dreamwalker.”

Kaia.

Claire had feelings for Kaia.

Dean thought of the curly-haired girl who kept to herself, wore ratty clothes, and was insecure about her abilities. Kaia was an interesting girl, and she seemed to take a shine to Claire and Cas.

Claire trusted Dean with this information because they were scarily similar. Claire and Kaia, Dean and Cas.

Dean should have seen this coming.

Claire was starting to get nervous. Dean said, “Cas would know just what to say right now.” Claire giggled, her nerves still apparent. “You sure you wanna hear what I have to say? Cas is much more eloquent about these sorts of things.”

“Yes. Hunter to hunter.”

Dean smiled. “Okay. Well...when my dad was alive, he was...a homophobe.” Claire’s eyes widened. Dean never talked about his father. “I always focused on girls, because boys were not even in the realm of possibility.” Dean sighed. “I suppressed that part of myself for so long. Even years after my dad died, I didn’t know what to do about it.” Dean smiled, getting a faraway look. “And then there was Cas.” Claire smiled back. “I found myself confronting all of my suppressed feelings, and it all worked out in the end.” He paused. “What I’m trying to say is...if no one’s stopping you, fucking go for it.” 

Claire grinned. “That genuinely helped, Dean. I’m shocked.”

“I try.”

————

Everyone was waiting when Castiel arrived.

After various expressions of shock, the angel was welcomed back with hugs and warm greetings.

Dean was saved until last. He approached Cas, halting an arm’s length away. Their family pretended to converse with one another, but Dean knew they were eavesdropping. Dean’s hands found the clasp to the gold chain he hadn’t taken off in days, undoing it smoothly. Castiel watched as their wedding bands came into view from underneath Dean’s shirt, hearing a few soft gasps from their prying family. Cas couldn’t bring himself to complain about their snooping at the moment. He focused on Dean, who slipped the wedding bands into his palm, pocketing the gold chain. Cas swallowed a lump in his throat as Dean stepped closer, slipping Cas’s silver ring on his finger, Dean doing the same with his gold ring. 

Both were reminded of their wedding, the two of them slipping on their wedding rings for the first time with the priest watching on. 

When Dean finally met Cas’s shining eyes, they shared a look for a long moment. It conveyed everything they wanted to say but couldn’t express in words.

Once Dean was sure Cas understood him, he turned back towards his family, who was trying not to look guilty at their blatant staring.

Dean ignored them as Sam hastily changed the subject.

————

With the family back at full strength, they had a dinner to rival Thanksgiving, Cas giving them basic information about the war.

The bunker family’s easy rhythm was reestablished.

————

That night, when Dean and Cas were finally alone in Dean’s bedroom, the angel said, “I have a surprise for you.”

Dean raised an eyebrow. 

Cas rolled his eyes. “We’re going somewhere.” He lifted a finger to his lips. “Don’t tell anyone.”

Dean smirked. “Okay, darlin’. Where to?”

Cas grabbed Dean’s shoulder, teleporting them away from the bunker.

————

Dean and Cas appeared in the middle of a fancy hotel suite.

Dean glanced at his husband, confused.

“I got us a room for the night.”

Dean said teasingly, “how presumptuous of you.”

Cas snorted, moving towards a table with a bottle of champagne and two glasses.

Dean blinked. His husband was being romantic.

“What’s all this for?” Dean looked around, taking in the plush furnishings. “It’s not our anniversary or anything.”

When Dean glanced back at Cas, there were two flutes filled with champagne. Cas’s gaze was soft as he asked sweetly, “can’t I do something nice for my husband?”

The manner in which Cas’s voice curled around the word husband made Dean feel some sort of way.

Dean swallowed, his eyelashes fluttering nervously as he approached Cas. “I-I’m just surprised, that’s all.” Dean took one of the champagne flutes in his hand, looking down at the bubbling gold liquid.

Dean felt a familiar hand lift his chin, stroking his jawline. Dean looked up at Cas, his blue eyes serene.

Cas said, as gentle as a caress, “you deserve more than I can give you, Dean Winchester.”

Dean swallowed a lump in his throat. “And you deserve more than I can give you. But we’re perfect for each other, don’t you think?”

Cas nodded almost imperceptibly. He whispered brokenly, “I’m sorry that I had to leave you again.”

Dean grasped Cas’s hand, tilting his head closer so that his breath ghosted Cas’s skin. “I don’t need any more apologies, darlin’.” He drew back, pushing the second glass of champagne into Cas’s hands. “Let’s make a toast.”

The playful spark in Cas’s eyes returned. “To...survival?”

Dean smiled. “To the painful deaths of Lucifer, Asmodeus, and Michael. And also survival.” They clinked their glasses together, drinking down the fizzing liquid. Both put their glasses on the table, hearing a clink as they hit the surface.

With the champagne in his system, Dean asked, “you know what’s bothering me?”

Cas’s eyebrows furrowed. “What?”

Dean smirked, moving ever closer to Cas. When they were an inch away from each other, Dean looked right into the expressive blue eyes that he revered. He said breathily, “we’ve been reunited for hours, and you haven’t kissed me yet.” He batted his eyelashes. “What are you waiting for, darlin’?”

On his last syllable, Dean found himself being lifted in his air, because he forgot that angels could lift a grown man’s entire body weight, and fuck, if that didn’t turn Dean on. The hunter’s breath hitched as he wrapped his legs instinctively around Cas’s sides, his arms looped around the angel’s neck.

As Dean tilted his head down, Cas whispered, “this.”

When Cas’s lips touched his, Dean felt their bond light up like the Fourth of July, fireworks and sparks exploding throughout his veins and behind his eyelids.

If this were his last kiss on Earth, Dean would have been satisfied.

But he was so glad it wasn’t.

As soon as Dean pulled away and caught his breath, Cas was kissing him, again and again and again. Dean did his best to keep up, pouring as much love into each kiss as possible.

Eventually, he noticed Cas was walking. Dean pulled away, observing — through the dizzy feeling he got whenever he kissed his husband — rose petals lining the floor as they reached a plush queen-sized bed. They paused in their kissing as Dean picked up a single dethorned red rose on the bed covers. Cas — holding Dean securely with no effort, my god, Dean could die — watched the hunter as he pressed the flower to his nose, inhaling the heady scent with his eyes closed. 

————

Castiel couldn’t get enough of the image before him.

Dean, wrapped around him like a monkey on a tree, his eyes closed, his eyelashes fanning his freckled cheeks, the red rose petals tickling his nose, providing a beautiful contrast to Dean’s soft pink blush, the stem of the flower caressing his slightly parted lips, already delightfully swollen from kissing.

To Cas, Dean encapsulated perfection in this moment. Cas would die happily if this were the last thing he ever saw.

————

When Dean opened his eyes again, Cas looked ready to take him right there.

Dean was ready to make an overconfident remark, but Cas took him aback when his gaze softened, watching Dean like he was something holy, something to be revered, something to be unequivocally worshipped.

“Beautiful,” Cas said breathily in Enochian, utterly awestruck.

The amount of meaning Cas could convey in one word made Dean’s heart race.

It was usually Dean who called Cas beautiful.

And sure, Cas complimented him all the time, but this was different, somehow.

Dean replayed the word over and over in his head, examining the tone Cas used, and realized that he’d never heard that particular sound from his husband before, the way his voice enunciated each syllable with complete admiration.

Dean stored the melody in his memory, pleased that he was still learning new things about his husband.

Dean’s blush — he realized absentmindedly — was encompassing his entire face and neck, and somewhere during his train of thought he dropped the rose on the floor.

He couldn’t bring himself to care.

He rested his forehead on Cas’s, whispering, “take me to bed, darlin’.”

After a final searing kiss, Dean felt his back hit the soft mattress.

————

Making love to Cas was like a storm and a gentle breeze all at once.

As Dean caught his breath and calmed his pounding heart, he registered Cas’s gorgeous body curled around his side, pressing kisses to his neck languidly, his wings wrapped around his body protectively.

They couldn’t get enough of each other.

This was one of the best nights of Dean’s life.

————

At some point, they must have fallen asleep.

Because Dean found himself in the dreamscape.

Cas was in the kitchen of their house, a radio on the counter. A variety of ingredients were visible, Cas mixing something in a bowl. The radio was playing “Hey Jude,” Cas singing along in perfect tune.

Dean bit his lip, enjoying the sight of Cas unburdened by responsibility and completely content. 

Dean heard himself laughing, Cas startled by his presence.

“Whatcha making?”

Cas smiled hesitantly. “Chocolate chip cookies.”

“You can eat in the dreamscape?” 

“Mhm,” Cas hummed, resuming his mixing. Dean shut off the radio and approached Cas, kissing his cheek as he leaned against the refrigerator.

“You looked surprised to see me here,” Dean observed.

Cas said coyly, his back turned from Dean’s vantage point, “I thought you would be exhausted.”

Dean threw his head back and laughed. “My body sure is.”

Cas whirled around, a pleased smirk on his face. “Good.”

Dean chuckled, moving to kiss Cas softly. When he pulled away, Dean said, “go ahead and keep baking your cookies.” He walked to the opposite side of the counter. “I’ll wait.”

“Or,” Cas suggested, “you could help.”

Dean huffed. “You’re lucky you’re cute.”

Cas laughed as Dean acquiesced.

————

Dean could safely say that eating the best chocolate chip cookies ever with Cas was the best dream he’s had in his life.

————

When Dean woke up, Cas was still plastered next to him, the bedsheets askew.

Cas stirred a moment later, meeting Dean’s eyes instantly. Dean placed his hand over Cas’s cheek, Dean’s thumb brushing his stubble.

“Wanna take a shower with me?” 

Cas hummed an affirmative.

————

They were in the shower longer than they should have been.

————

When they were both dressed, they reappeared inside Dean’s bedroom.

It was almost time for breakfast at the bunker.

They came back just in time.

————

That afternoon, Cas magically projected a movie on the blank wall, the entire family watching on various blankets lining the floor.

About an hour into the movie, they were surprised when the lights went out and a disco ball materialized on the ceiling, colored lights moving about the room.

Cas sighed deeply.

Dean turned to his husband, guessing, “Gabriel and Balthazar?”

Cas snapped his fingers, making the disco ball disappear and the dim lights come back on.

He stood up from his position — pressing against Dean’s side — and said, “I’ll be right back.”

Everyone watched as Cas left the room, shutting the door behind him.

————

Castiel was met in the hallway with Gabriel and Balthazar waiting for him.

“Yes?” 

Balthazar held up the bottle of Holy Fire that they found in the monochrome dimension. Not a drop had been drunk since that day.

“It’s a belated celebratory drink,” Gabriel replied, producing glasses for each of them.

Castiel huffed. “It’s a good thing I like Holy Fire, or I’d be annoyed at you right now.”

The two angels snickered.

Gabriel handed them their glasses, pouring Holy Fire into each one. He gave a little extra glowing blue liquid to Cas, explaining that he earned it.

They held their glasses up, Gabriel clearing his throat. “To Cassie, for using his genius brain to end a war in six days.”

Castiel blushed as their glasses clinked together and they drank down the Holy Fire.

As the angelic alcohol burned through their livers, Gabriel informed Cas, “I got Heaven’s gate reopened.”

Cas’s eyes widened. “Seriously?”

“We’re open for business, Cassie.”

“That’s good news.”

“Don’t worry, though,” Balthazar said. “We both think you deserve a break from all this.”

“That’s...kind of nice of you, actually,” Cas said.

“A lot is gonna change up in Heaven, now.” Gabriel patted his younger brother on the shoulder. “Be proud that you’re the reason why, Cassie.”

————

Cas came back into the room five minutes later.

Every pair of eyes tried to be inconspicuous about their curiosity.

As Cas settled next to Dean, the hunter asked, “everything okay?”

Cas smiled. “Everything’s great.”

**Author's Note:**

> Part 5 (Part 7 in this series) will be out next week. Kudos and comments are appreciated!


End file.
